You are having a muscular reaction to a medicine you have taken. This is an uncontrolled movement of muscles (dystonia). The incidence of this occurring is based on factors such as the person's susceptibility, the drug, the dose, and the duration of therapy. It's most often caused by medicines given for nausea or for mental health (psychiatric) issues. Less commonly, antiseizure medicines have caused symptoms. Symptoms can begin immediately or be delayed hours or even days. Sometimes this reaction happens when a new medicine you have started slows down the breakdown of a previous medicine you were taking. Usually, stopping the new medicine will stop the reaction. This can take up to 3 days. In rare cases, it can take a lot longer. You've been given medicines to help treat the reaction.
Symptoms may include:
- Stiffening, tightness, spasm, or twisting of the muscles in the eyes, tongue, jaw, back, legs, or arms.
- Involuntary contractions of muscles in the face, neck, trunk, pelvis, extremities, or larynx.
- Trouble speaking and swallowing.
- Trouble opening your mouth.
- Trouble moving your neck and head.
- Restless, jittery feeling all over your body.
Home care
- You may eat and drink as normal. Take your other prescribed medicines as directed. If you drink alcohol, consult with your doctor about when it is safe to do so.
- Take diphenhydramine, or the medicines you were given, for at least 2 days, or as advised. After 2 days, most of the medicine that caused the reaction should be gone from your body.
- If symptoms return, take the medicines for the reaction for another 48 hours. If this doesn't help, or if you run out of medicine, contact your doctor.
Prevention
- Most dystonic medicine reactions are caused by antipsychotics, antinausea, or antidepressant drugs. If you have reacted to one medicine in this class, any medicine in this class may cause the same reaction. Some illegal drugs can also cause this reaction.
- Unless advised by your doctor, don't take the medicine that caused the reaction ever again. It may cause the same reaction in the future. In some cases, this medicine may be needed to treat your condition. Then, you can take each dose along with the medicine to treat the reaction until a new medicine is started.
- Don't take any new medicines without letting your doctor know. This includes over-the-counter medicines.
- Each time you visit a doctor or a hospital, tell them about your reaction to this medicine.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your doctor, or as advised.
When to get medical advice
Contact your doctor or seek medical care right away if:
- Symptoms come back and aren't controlled by restarting the medicine you were given to treat the reaction.
- Symptoms continue or you need to take the medicine for more than 3 days.
Call 911
Call
- Trouble breathing or swallowing.
- Trouble speaking.
- Confusion.
- Extreme drowsiness or trouble waking up.
- Loss of consciousness, or if you faint.
- A fast heart rate.
- A seizure.
